Anergix LLC was organized around developing a proprietary cell therapy technology for the deliver of peptides in vivo. The firm's lead program focused on the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) in which patients would receive peptides, whose sequences are derived from the proteins of myelin, delivered in vivo. MS affects roughly 400,000 Americans and 2.5 million worldwide. The therapeutic strategy had been to induce immune tolerance to one or more of the suspected antigens thought to cause the autoimmune response against the myelin sheath proteins surrounding nerve cells. Tolerance, or anergy, is a state of diminished immune response to a particular antigen. Anergix uses MBP or PLP peptides to assure antigen specificity; using these peptides will not lead to the broader immunomodulatory effects seen by current Disease Modifying Therapies. Subcutaneous implants will eliminate the need for frequent IM, SC or IV injections. together, these first two advantages will mean fewer side-effects and better long term compliance on the part of MS patients. The aim of the firm's clinical research program had beento establish efficacy of a single annual implant. However,t he data suggests that the firm actually ceasd operations.
